Advances in Abu Dhabi’s e-procurement

A new electronic system aims to make procurement in Abu Dhabi simpler, fairer and more transparent.

An arm of the Abu Dhabi government dedicated to business support has launched a new electronic platform to provide e-procurement services to government contractors and construction companies.

Musanada, which means ‘support’ in Arabic, is responsible for government building services, facilities management and technology services across the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The platform aims to simplify the tendering process and the hiring of sub-contractors, as well as promote social equality in tendering. It also wants transparency and integrity in the contracting process and high-quality project delivery.

Musanada said the new platform would provide comprehensive information to all subcontractors and suppliers on the awarded projects and the scope of work and materials required, thereby helping them with the tendering process.

Musanada has organised awareness workshops to explain how the electronic tendering system works which it said were attended by a large number of main construction contractors. It is also providing training on how to manage tenders and design e-bids, as well as tender evaluation requirements and the registration process.

Musanada said it believed the new platform would save contractors considerable time and effort, and that by electronically saving data and offers, it would reduce paper consumption.

Construction across the UAE is due to thrive in the period after the country’s World Expo, Expo 2020. In May, Dubai newspaper Khaleej Times cited a report by an Abu Dhabi market research company which suggested the construction industry would be helped over the next five years by new government initiatives, higher oil prices and growing investor confidence in the economy.

After recovering last year following two years of contraction, the construction industry is expected to grow by 4.64% between 2019 and 2023, compared to 1.08% in the 2014-2018 period.

It is set to be worth $101.2bn by 2023 – up from $80.7bn in 2018 – thanks to rising crude oil prices, growing non-oil product exports and a decrease in the fiscal deficit. Last year the industry grew by 4.2%.

The report said the UAE construction industry has a promising outlook because new investment is expected in residential, energy, infrastructure and commercial construction projects.

Various government initiatives such as the Ministry of Education Strategic Plan 2017-21, the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy, the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme and the Dubai Tourism Strategy 2020 are also likely to lead to major construction projects.